Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank Group, has raised concerns over Nigeria’s recent decision to allow extensive food importation, cautioning that it could devastate the country’s agricultural sector.<\/p>\n
This warning follows the announcement by Nigeria’s Minister for Agriculture, Abubakar Kyari, on July 10, detailing the Federal Government’s decision to suspend duties, tariffs, and taxes on the importation of maize, husked brown rice, wheat, and cowpeas for 150 days. This measure aims to mitigate short-term food price hikes but has faced criticism from industry experts.<\/p>\n
\u201cNigeria\u2019s recently announced policy to open its borders for massive food imports, just to tackle short-term food price hikes, is depressing,\u201d Adesina stated during a retreat with African Primates of the Anglican Church in Abuja on Friday. He emphasized that such a policy undermines the significant investments and efforts put into developing Nigeria’s agricultural sector.<\/p>\n
Adesina elaborated on the detrimental impact this policy could have, asserting, \u201cNigeria cannot rely on the importation of food to stabilize prices. Nigeria should be producing more food to stabilize food prices while creating jobs and reducing foreign exchange spending, which will further help stabilize the Naira. Nigeria cannot import its way out of food insecurity. Nigeria must not be turned into a food import-dependent nation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Addressing the theme \u2018Food security and financial sustainability in Africa: The role of the Church,\u2019 Adesina emphasized the importance of self-sufficiency in food production, warning, \u201cA nation that depends on others to feed itself is independent only in name.\u201d<\/p>\n
The retreat, held under the umbrella of the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa (CAPA), brought together over 40 million Anglicans across the continent. His Grace, the Most Reverend Henry C. Ndukuba, Primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), highlighted the event as a crucial platform for African Anglican leaders to strengthen bonds and share collective wisdom.<\/p>\n
Emeritus Nigerian Professor of Science Education, Olugbemiro Jegede, noted the significance of the gathering, stating, \u201cYou have the whole of Africa represented here. Every Primate represents a region. Behind these Primates are millions and millions of Anglicans who are listening to us here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adesina underscored the critical role of agriculture in Africa’s economic diversification and rural transformation. \u201cAgriculture is essential for the diversification of economies and for transforming rural areas where over 70 percent of Africa’s population live. Unless we transform agriculture, Africa cannot eliminate poverty,\u201d he insisted.<\/p>\n
With Africa holding 65 percent of the world’s uncultivated arable land, Adesina emphasized the continent’s potential to feed the global population, projected to reach 9.5 billion by 2050. \u201cWhat Africa does with agriculture will determine the future of food in the world. Food is essentially money, and the size of the food and agriculture market in Africa will reach $1 trillion by 2030.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adesina also briefed the Primates on the African Development Bank’s $25 billion program aimed at transforming agriculture by providing high-performing agricultural technologies to 40 million farmers and achieving food self-sufficiency by 2030. He highlighted the Bank’s success stories, including Ethiopia’s transformation into a net exporter of wheat within five years and significant increases in Sudan\u2019s wheat production through the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) program.<\/p>\n
In Nigeria, Adesina noted the Bank\u2019s collaboration with the Islamic Development Bank and the International Fund for Agricultural Development, providing $520 million to support the establishment of Special Agricultural Processing Zones. Additionally, the Bank has allocated $134 million to Nigeria for emergency food production to combat food price inflation by boosting local production of wheat and cassava.<\/p>\n
Adesina urged the Nigerian government to leverage the Bank\u2019s investments and support for African farmers, demonstrating greater determination and commitment to achieving food self-sufficiency and incentivizing private sector agribusinesses.<\/p>\n
The African Development Bank Group, alongside its partners, is supporting the development of 28 Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZs) in 11 countries, with $4.5 billion mobilized so far, to enhance Africa’s position in the global agricultural value chains.<\/p>\n
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